When Plurilingual Speakers Encounter Unilingual Environments

Public authorities and courts are pivotal actors in delivering services to society. Contacts between migrants and these bodies are particularly demanding in regard to communication. Meaningful communication largely depends upon mutual recognition of the participants' linguistic resources and competence. The consequences of possible failure are costly, time consuming, and detrimental to people and society. This project focuses on migrants from African countries who have been disproportionately represented in the public eye due to constant and excessive negative imagery in the media and in politics. Its objective is to make their plurilingual repertoire visible (voices heard) in order to ensure a proper choice of language according to Article 6 (3a) ECHR and equal access to the law. Since, in Austria, the majority of migrants from African countries live in Vienna, addressing this issue should be given top priority by urban policy makers.